


Halloween is the Worst

by Readymcreaderson



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: F/M, Halloween, TW: Metions of abuse, Tumblr: BFFP (Chicago Fire)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26820643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Readymcreaderson/pseuds/Readymcreaderson
Summary: Matthew Casey is not having a good Halloween celebration.This is for the BFFP challenge. Thank you for the inspiration!
Relationships: Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 19
Kudos: 51





	Halloween is the Worst

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Chicago Fire fic. Please do not mind the grammar too much, English is not my first language. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and enjoy!

Matthew Casey, draped in Captain America outfit, was sitting outside Molly’s. He felt drained, sad and all together just miserable. Unlike his co-workers, Matt didn’t much care for Halloween. In fact, he hated Halloween. But for his friends he’d gotten dressed in what Kelly had given him and gone down to Molly’s.

Now however, he just wanted to go home, be old and have a cold beer in his pajamas. 

Matt let out a heavy sigh as he leaned over. He rested his elbows on his knees, his head hanging heavy down from his shoulders. He couldn't go home just yet, he was there for his friends and if he left early they were all just going to worry about him and he knew that it would also give Kelly new material to poke fun with. 

The door to Molly’s opened up and for a brief second heard the noise of people chatting over the “Spooky Halloween” Playlist that 51 had worked on together all week, mostly it had just been Gallo and Ritter. They had a surprisingly wide range of taste in music. 

When the door closed he heard a pair of heels walk their way over to him but he had no energy to lift his head just yet so he didn’t really know who it was before he saw the shiny red shoes stop by his big bulky boots. 

“Matt,” Sylvie’s voice filled the silence that he had been wallowing in. “What’s the matter?” 

He gave a grunt for an answer and buried his face in his hands, letting out a tired sigh. Sylvie took this as an invitation and sat down beside him. 

“You know it’s always better after you talk about it, but if you don’t want to share with me then I’m more than happy to just sit here with you for a while.” He could feel her lean back against the bench before her warm hand found his back, rubbing it in gentle circles. She wasn’t going to go anywhere and Matt felt so grateful for that. Sylvie might be the one person he never got tired of out of everyone he knew. 

Her optimism, humour and general empathy towards people drew him to her. When he entered a room it was always her he looked for because he knew that if she was there his mood instantly improved. Just seeing her name pop up on his phone these days made his heart soar out of his chest. 

And now here she was being her perfectly good self helping him out by just being there. 

Matt decided it was time to stop sulking alone with the heavy thoughts and share them with her. He knew she wouldn’t judge, be mean or just trying to overtake the conversation with ideas on how to better himself or the situation. It was a comfort and he could feel the warmth spread in his chest.

He leaned back silently let out a curse when he felt Sylvie’s hand drop from where it had be placed. Matt gave her a lopsided smile and eyed her costume. She was Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ only a blonde version. She looked absolutely stunning. 

“You’re a long way away from home,” Matt quipped, trying to lift his own mood. 

“I’m exactly where I want to be,” she answered him earnestly, making his heart beat hard against his chest. God she could so easily move him. 

With a deep breath Matt braved himself for what he was about to do, talk about himself. It rarely happened and he would much more like to do something for else entirely than set himself in the spotlight. 

“Halloween is the worst,” was the first thing that slipped through his lips. He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. 

“We were never a really happy family when I was growing up. Christine and me, we tried to make each other happy but it rarely helped, not when dad would find something to criticize my mother for or had had one too many beers that night.” Matt sighed sadly. “It was always one too many though.” 

He closed his eyes and he could feel the tears that were already pressing against his lids. The soreness that was his childhood was always buried deep down but now it was clawing at his chest. Punching him in the gut trying to rip through him and leave him hollow.

Sylvie grabbed his hand and pulled it in between the two of hers and he felt grounded back to her again. She always knew what to say or do when it came to him it seemed. The fire of hate and sadness calmed down a little.

He opened his eyes again. His eyes looked over and caught her big blue eyes. All he could see in her was understanding, love and trust. Sylvie grounded him even more and he gave her hands a soft squeeze. 

They stayed there looking at each other for a while and Matt knew that Sylvie wouldn't go anywhere no matter how long it took him to tell her what he needed to tell her. He also knew that she wouldn’t push for more than he was comfortable with divulging at this point, which was refreshing to say the least.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and it gave him the courage to continue on. 

“So we never really celebrated Halloween, in fact I didn’t go trick or treating before Christie was old enough to go alone and take me with her.” His fingers tighten around her hold on him. “Halloween seemed to be one of those time where dad was extra cruel. He’d spend time at the bar until closing, or until he got thrown out. Then he’d come home and hit my mother.” A lump pressed its way up his throat and his eyes glassed over again with tears. “She tried to hide it away from us, but you know as much as me that kids are smarter than the adults give them credit for.” A wry smile wrapped itself across his face. 

Sylvie shuffled closer to him, breaking one hand from him and draped it around his back. “I’m sorry you had to live through that Matt.” Her words were soft and gentle, coaxing him into a safe lull. He leaned his head on her shoulder and his eyes slid close again.

“Holidays were always tough, didn’t really matter if it was Halloween, Christmas or Thanks Giving, he was always just extra crabby.” He felt Sylvie’s soft lips press a kiss on top of his head before she rested her cheek against it. 

“Thank you for being here, Sylvie.” He suddenly felt tired. His entire body weighed him down and it was as if he had just sprinted 10 miles in his turnout gear. 

“How about I drive you home then we’ll watch some non Halloween movies and you can change out of that ridiculous Captain America get up?” It was as if she had read his mind and was now giving him an out from being the ‘Grumpy Old Man’. As always, Sylvie saved him. 

“I would love nothing more.”

“I’ll go get our things and tell Kelly and Stella that we’re headed to the loft.” 

With that Sylvie gave his side a gentle squeeze and got up. “I’ll be right back.” The smile that she left him with lifted his spirits a little. The thought of leaving the day behind him with Sylvie and a cold beer was enough to let the tension in his shoulders leave.

**Author's Note:**

> Question: Is there a BrettSey or Chicago Fire Discord for fan-fic writers? Would love to be able to discuss with fellow authors about works that are in the mids of getting written or just gush over other people's fics?


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